update

The update command deploys any changes that are in the changelog file and that have not been deployed to your database yet.

Uses

The update command is typically used to apply database changes that are specified in the changelog file to your database.

When you run the update command, Liquibase sequentially reads changesets in the changelog file, then it compares the unique identifiers of id, author, and path to filename to the values stored in the DATABASECHANGELOG table.

  • If the unique identifiers do not exist, Liquibase will apply the changeset to the database.
  • If the unique identifiers exist, the MD5Sum of the changeset is compared to the one in the database.
  • If they are different, Liquibase will produce an error message that someone has changed it unexpectedly. However, if the status of the runOnChange or runAlways changeset attribute is set to TRUE, Liquibase will re-apply the changeset.

Syntax

To run the update command, specify the driver, classpath, and URL in the Liquibase properties file. For more information, see Create and Configure a liquibase.properties File. You can also specify these properties in your command line.

Then run the update command:

liquibase update --changelog-file=example-changelog.xml

Global arguments

Tip: For best results, specify all commands and parameters in the --kebab-case format in the CLI. If your preference is camelCase, it also works in the CLI.

Attribute Definition Requirement
--liquibase-schema-name

Specifies in what schema the Liquibase DATABASECHANGELOG and DATABASECHANGELOGLOCK tables will be managed

Optional
--liquibase-catalog-name

For MSSQL only: Specifies in what catalog the Liquibase DATABASECHANGELOG and DATABASECHANGELOGLOCK tables will be managed

Optional

Command arguments

Attributes Definition Requirement
--changelog-file

The root changelog

Required
--url

The JDBC database connection URL. See Using JDBC URL in Liquibase.

Required
--change-exec-listener-class

Fully-qualified class which specifies a ChangeExecListener

Optional
--change-exec-listener-properties-file

Path to a properties file for the ChangeExecListenerClass

Optional
--contexts

Specifies the changeset contexts to match. Contexts are expressions you can add to changesets to control which changesets are executed in any particular migration run.

Optional
--default-catalog-name

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional
--default-schema-name

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection

Optional
--driver

The JDBC driver class

Optional
--driver-properties-file

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional
--labels

Specifies the changeset labels to match. Labels are tags you can add to changesets to control which changeset will be executed in any migration run.

Optional
--password

Password to connect to the target database

Optional
--rollback-on-error=[boolean]

Liquibase Pro only. If any changeset in a deployment fails, rollback-on-error stops the update operation and rolls back all changesets you just deployed. Default: false.

Note: A changeset marked failOnError=false does not trigger as an error, so rollback-on-error will not occur. Additionally, if a changeset is not auto-rollback compliant or does not have a rollback script, then rollback-on-error does not occur for any changeset. Read more: failOnError.

Optional
--username

Username to connect to the target database

Optional

Note: The username and password attributes are not required for connections and systems which use alternate means of authentication. Also, you can specify database credentials as part of the url attribute.

Related links